Red Dwarf X: Dear Dave – Dork Review

Only two episodes to go in this ridiculous tenth series of Red Dwarf, and this time Dave Lister grapples with his love life (or total lack of same), whilst Rimmer fights demotion to the same awful rank as Lister. So, do either of them get what they want?

My Greatest Nightmare: Endless Charades

I’m conflicted about this episode, because on the one hand, I felt a lot more entertained than I did watching Entangled, because I’m more amused by the character banter than zipping about and grappling with crotch-based explosives.

Still, it had obvious gaping flaws, so I feel bad giving it a good write-up on sheer good will. The first of these: it takes ages to get going. You might say this of several episode this series: nothing really happens until just before the central ad break.

However, it seemed more prominent here, perhaps because the first half fell flat a few too many times. The “species” joke at the start, along with the charades sequence, and later Cat’s “don’t think about them together” bit, dragged on, then ended predictably.

Pleasing Memories Of Grey Corridors

So, no, not the greatest episode yet, but a few good sequences too, especially any part where Rimmer was on-screen. I enjoyed the sheer randomness of the storylines, too. The climactic sequence of the vending machine thread really did make me laugh like hell.

Based on the lack of special effects or guest stars, one has to wonder whether this meant to save some budget. Maybe that’s why I liked it despite obvious failings: I have a huge soft spot for the really early series, where it truly was just Rimmer and Lister arguing in grey corridors. To me, it kinda lost something once they could afford to other sets or guest actors.

So, yeah, it’s possible that the rest of you may hate it, but never mind. Next week is the finale, maybe they’re saving money for that. Epic space battle, anyone?

Nick learned to read and write at an early age. This has developed into an unhealthy need to either write stories or consume them for later dissection. He reviews film and TV on Dork Adore and The Digital Fix, lives in London and enjoys a nice white beer.

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